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23 August 2016

REVIEW: D-Link Home Panoramic HD Camera

Home
and away.

What
with all that precious gadgetry we've convinced you to buy over the
years, you need a home security system to keep an eye on it all.
Where to start? A camera, of course; and we've been checking one out
from D-Link, the Home Panoramic HD Camera DCS-8200LH.

This
WiFi-connected camera boasts a simple set-up and a very slim figure.
In fact, it is definitely the thinnest security camera we've ever
reviewed, and we were instantly impressed by the shallow profile.
However, the huge round face is pretty conspicuous, being wider than
the body of the camera itself, but overall the device looks pretty
snazzy.

It
comes with a mount that can be used to either stand it up on a level
surface, or attach it to a wall. Again, this too is big and round –
possible a tad bigger than it really needs to be, lessening the
overall effect of the slim dimensions of the camera.

One
thing that D-Link are keen to point out about this device is that it
is the first of their cameras to be fully IFTTT compatible, with a
number of 'recipes' already available. For example, you can set it up
so when the camera detects motion, your Hue lights spring to life.
It's a nice touch, and one fans of IFTTT will jump at.

To
power the D-Link Home Panoramic HD Camera you use an included Micro
SD cable which plus directly into the back. On the rear you will also
find the God-send button – WPS – allowing you to instantly pair
your camera with the dlink Home app (iOS and Android). We've used
this app before on a couple of D-Link's smart devices, and always
found it very intuitive and clutter-free.

Right,
we need to talk about quality. Although this is a “HD” camera, it
is the lowest end of HD, being just 720p. Don't get us wrong, 720p is
fine for day-in, day-out recording and streaming, but it would have
been nice to get at least a 1080p sensor, especially when you
consider the price of this thing compared to other similar cameras.
That said, the video quality was crisp enough to watch fine, but only
really on your phone. Record something to a Micro SD card (there's a
slot on the side), watch it on your computer, and you'll be less than
impressed.

Using
the companion app, you can set your D-Link Home Panoramic HD Camera
to record when it detects motion or loud sounds. This is a great and
simple-to-use feature which lets you choose whether you want the
footage to go directly to the SD card, or indeed uploaded to D-Link's
Cloud storage servers. Recalling both via the app is a smooth
process, and we never had any problems with playback of both video
and audio.

That
big black ring around the lens is good for something though, as
inside are the infra-red lights to power the night vision. Usable up
to a distance of five metres, the night vision capabilities of the
D-Link Home Panoramic HD Camera were actually very good, but this is
a definite indoors-only camera.

So
we like the app and the speed at which it both streams the footage,
and alerts you to motion or sound triggers, but we can't get past
that price-to-video quality ratio. Yes, the IFTTT compatibility is
great, but around £150 for a 720p camera is a bit too much to
swallow. If the price came down, this is a great and versatile home
security camera with some nifty features.

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The Test Pit is a place where all manner of things get tested... often to destruction. Gadgets, technology, toys, and clothing - all are fair game in the Pit. Our reviews are honest, jargon-free, and funny. Well, we try...